Psychotic Disorders

Table of Contents

Psychotic Disorders

Objectives

  • Appreciating the prevalence of various psychotic illnesses
  • Describing the key features of various psychotic illnesses
  • Understanding how to differentiate between psychotic illnesses
  • Selecting psychopharmacologic treatment for various psychotic illnesses
  • Applying general principles on how to approach a patient with psychosis

Terminology

Psychosis

  • Disorder of thinking and perception where typically patients do not ascribe their symptoms to a mental disorder.

Positive Symptoms

  • Delusions, hallucinations, thought disorder.

Negative Symptoms

  • A deficit state – what is not there.

Delusion

  • False unshakeable belief out of keeping with the patient’s cultural, educational, and social background.

Hallucination

  • A sensory perception experienced in the absence of a real stimulus.

Prodrome

  • A definable period before the onset of psychotic symptoms during which functioning becomes impaired.

Frequency

  • 1 yr prevalence of non-organic psychosis is 4.5/1000 community residents.
  • Commonest age of presentation:
    • Men < 30
    • Women < 35
    • People > 60.
  • Schizophrenia has a 1 yr prevalence of 3.3/1000 and lifetime morbidity of 7.2/1000.
  • Psychotic symptoms have a 10.1% prevalence in non-demented community > 85yrs.

Take Home Points

  • Psychotic disorders can be primary or secondary.
  • Cornerstone of treatment is antipsychotics if primary psychotic illness.
  • If secondary psychotic illness, treat underlying cause and often will also need to use antipsychotics.
  • There are approaches as outlined earlier that can make interactions with patients more effective.